Kiln and burner apparatus



April 25, 1933- H. A. DREFFEIN 1,905,820

KILN AND BURNER APPARATUS Filed Oct. 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- l f l f f 1,

April 25, 1933.

H. A. DREFFEIN KILN AND BURNER APPARATUS Filed OCT.. 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rdm Patented Apr. 25, 1933 orner.

HENRY A. D'REFFEIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS KILN AND BURNER APPARATUS Application led October 4, 1928. Serial No. 310,389.

This invention relates to kilns and burner apparatus and has among its objects to provide apparatus which will eiiectthe efficient burning of raw producer gas for kiln heating; to provide apparatus ofthe character indicated, including master control for the air and master control for the gas, with or without individualy shut-ofi3 means. forV the separate air and 'gas supplies to the individual burners; to provide a new burner for burning gas, particularly raw producer gas, tol decrease or eliminate the deposit of condensible hydrocarbons and tarry substances; to provide apparatus for the obtaining of a delayed combustion vof the gas and air; to provide apparatus for the burning `of raw producer gas in which interchangeable iixed orifice members are utilized with either or both the separate gas and air supply means for each burner whereby proper orifices having been provided further regulation is not required; to provide means for the maintenance of the gas orifices in clean condition without interferingwith the operation of the apparatus and from the exterior of such apparatus; and in general to provide a new and improved method and apparatus to practice that method for the eliicient burning and use of gas. V

. These and other objects will be apparent and more fully set forth in the following specification andV shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 f is a vertical, irregular section through a. kiln, illustrating an embodiment of my invention; i

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ,ofy a portion of the gas and air delivery equipment;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section along the lineY Like numerals referto like elements` throughout the drawings, in which indicates generally a kiln having tracks 11 in the bottom thereof for the conveyance of the cars on which are carried the articles to be heated. Longitudinally of the kiln at each side thereof are muile ducts 12 of suitable refractory or other material.

At suitable intervals along the length of and delivery into such mufiie, ducts are provided open ended hoods 13 having outlet ports 12a which communicate with gas supply ducts 14. At the entrance end of the gas ducts 14 are provided refractory nozzle members 16,

Veach with tapered bore and mountediin a surrounding metal shell 17, as illustrated in Fig. 4, for example. A box 18 is in communication with each of the nozzles 16 at the inlet end thereof through a port 18a. To properly control or determine the supply of gas for proper combustion, a disc 20 is provided for each of the ports 18a, which is detachably secured to the inner wallof the box 18 by means of bolts or studs 21, for example. Each of these discs is provided with an orifice 20a which determines the size of aperture through which the gas must flow to the nozzle member 16. Interchangeable discs are provided with different sized orifices so that it is a simple matter to supply the proper size oforifice required for the proper operation of any burner unit.

In the wall of the box 18 opposite the port 20a is provided a second aperture 1817 which is normally closed bya cap 23 havinglsmall central apertures to accommodate a cleaning rod 25,- which projects therethrough and through the orifice `2Oaand the disc 20. TheY rod 25 is provided with a shoulder 25a and a handle 26, located exteriorly of the cap 23 and box 18. The shoulder 25a snugly fits be rotated or oscillated in contact with thel edge of the orifice 20a to scrape or rub 0H the accumulated deposit thereon. Due to the exterior location of the handle 26 this cleaning operation may be readily effected during the operation of the burner without interference therewith. A plurality of additional apertures 18o is located around the aperture 18?) and these are normally covered by caps 27, which are detachably secured bybolts or the like in closed relation, as illustrated in Fig. 3. These ports may be used for observation, clean-outs, or other purposes, as may the central port 18?).

Looped around the kiln is a main gas supply pipe 29 to which gas is supplied through the main 29a, the latter being provided with a main shut-olf gate valve 29?) or the like. ln the form shown, manifolds 32 are provided, each supplying gas to a pair of burners and supplied lwith gas by the branch pipe 3() leading from the main s upply pipe 29. i

At theljuncture of each branch 32 with a box-18, there is provided a valve seat 32a with which coacts a quick acting valve 33 to fully open or close communication between the branch 32 and the casing 18. ln the form illustrated each of these valves'` is provided with an upwardly projecting rod or stem communicating by a flexible connecting member 35 With a segment 36 to which it is secured. The segment is provided with attached arm 36a rotatably mounted in a bifurcated bracket 37 A connecting spring 38 is attached to the outer end of the arm 36a and is provided with a loop for engagement 'with the stud 39 projecting from the branch pipe 32, the purpose of this construction being'to permit quick movement of the handle 36 to fully open the valve 33, the spring connector 38 serving when connected to stud 39 to maintain the valve'in open position. It will be apparentthat other suitable means may bezsubstituted for the same purpose.

, Also looped around-the kiln 10, is an air supply pipe 39 fed by the main 39a having a shut-olf rvalve 396 therein.: From the main air supply pipe 39 lead branch pipes 40 to each of the burners, eachfof these pipes 40 also being provided with a shut-off valve 40a of suitable construction. In each of the branch pipes 40 is provided an enlargement such asa coupling or the like as indicated by numeral 405 (see Figs. land 6) grooved to permitthe sliding insertion or: removal of a disc 40o, which is provided with an orifice 40d therein. These discs are interchangeable and may be provided with different sized orifces to permitselection of the-properV orifice for eachv air branch pipe 40 to' properly regulate or'determine the amount cfa-ir flowing therethrough for admixture and combustion with the unit.. Y i

yLeading from each air supplybranch 40 is an elbow 41 communicating With the port 41ay in the gas duct'14, this port being located adj acent'the bottom ofthe duct. The elbow 41V gas delivered to the same burnerl is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the duct 14 and is arranged to deliver air to such duct at one side thereof at an angle to its axis preferablyl less than 90D with respect to the direction of the flow of the gas therethrough. This arrangement of the port 41a and the elbow 41, is such as to cause the air to follow a helical path about the periphery of the duct 14, as will be apparent.

When the proper orifices have been determined after determination of the proper amounts of air and gas to be delivered to each burner unit, and after placement of the discs with such orificestherein, in the. individual gas and air sup-ply lines, the apparatus is ready for operation. With the main or master valves 29?) and 39?) open andthe separate gas and air control-valves 33` and 40a also open, and after ignition of the gas mixtures in the burner units, the air flowing through the ports 41a will, to a large extent at least, envelop and surround the gas being delivered into duct 14. Some combustion ensues at the zone of meeting between the air and gas, but the air and gas being, in a sense, stratified, combustion is only partial and is delayed during the passage of the air Vand gas through the duct 14 so that the gases of combustion are delivered at a high temperature into the muffle ducts 12. In this manner a greater efliciency of heating is obtained than would be obtained were the air and gas commingled at the nozzle 16, for example, in con i ventional manner and combustion completed shortly after such mixture. Also, with only partial combustion in the duct 14 the heat to which theJ refractory vis'subjected is much less than would otherwise be the case, thus prolonging the life of the refractory and dispensing with a considerable heat loss during flow through the duct 14.

While raw producer gas has been diflicult, ifnot impossible, tof handle heretofore in muiiie type kilns due to the presence of condensible hydrocarbons or tarry substances, 'i

which .deposit upon the walls of the ducts and gradually clog 'andrestrict the ducts and seriouslyV interfere with the operation of the apparatus, with my apparatus such condensibles may deposit, in part at least, in the bottom of each box 18, a sump A being provided by the location of port 18a above bottom of the box 18. If this deposit, which is of a viscous or tarry nature, be not removed it will rise until it overflows into the nozzle member 16, hence it will flow down into the duct 14. The heat of the partial combustion taking place at the zone of contact between the air envelope and the enveloped gas, is sufficient to volatilize and burn these tarry substances flowing down in the manner indicated, and

any ash resulting from such combustion will be readily carried-.through into the muflie ducts where 1t may be removed vfrom time to time w-ithout difliculty. Likewise, theenv'elope of air and the zone of partial combustion will prevent the condensation of any condensible hydrocarbons in the gas flowing through the duct 14 and will maintain them in volatile or suspended condition until they burn, thus preventing the deposit of impeding material in the duct 14 and increasing theefiiciency of the combustion.

It will thus be apparent that the method of stratifying the air and gas in the manner described serves two purposes: One, to dispose of any tarry substances flowing into the duct 14 from nozzle member 16, and the other, to prevent, in a large part at least, the deposit of condensible or suspended hydrocarbon upon the wall of the duct 14.

It will also be apparent that, as stated above, the gas orifices 20a may be readily maintained in clean condition without shutting down the operation of the corresponding burner unit, by manipulation of cleaning rods 25. Ports 186 and 180 also afford means of ready access to or inspection of the. gas orifices and nozzles, as Well as the boXes 18.

It will be further apparent that having properly selected the orifices for the air and gas supply, the entire apparatusmay be thrown into or out of operation by actuation of the master gas and air valves alone, thus dispensing with separate control and regulation from time to time of the individual air and gas supplies and pr-ecluding tampering with them by the operator or others. Atthe same time, where it is unnecessary to operate any one or more of the burner units, means is provided to quickly shut off the air and Igas supply to such unit or units without requiring a readjustment or redetermination of the ,proper amount of air and gas supply required when such units are again put into operation, this being due again to the provision of the orifice discs.

This system or apparatus permits the use of raw producer gas in muile kilns where it has hitherto been impractical due to the clogging of the ducts, nozzles and the like, with the condensible hydrocarbons and tarry substances, and due to the difficulty of obtaining accurate regulation of the air and gas supply, particularly the latter, to each burner.

It will be apparent that my process and apparatus are susceptible of modification Vand variation from the form and method de scribed in the above specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I do not Wish to be restricted to such showing and description except as defined in the appended claims interpreted with the proper range of equivalents.

IV hat I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a duct, means to supply gas thereto, and an air duct communicating with said rst named duc-t'adj acent the Wall thereof, said air duct being constructed and arranged to deliver air into said first named duct around the periphery thereof and around the gas flowing therethrough ataan angle to the direction of flow lof said gas. 1 i

2. In'apparatus of the class described, a duct, means to supply gas thereto, and an air -duct communicating with saidfirst named duct adjacent the wall thereof, said air duct being kconstructed and arranged to deliver air into said first named duct around the inner periphery thereof and around the gas flowing therethrough at an angle of less than 90 tothe direction of flow of said gas. 3. In'apparatus of the class described, a duct, means `to supply gas thereto including a casing, said casing being provided with a port, a disc removabiy attached to said casing and provided With an orifice in alignment with said port, and means to clean said orifice operable from outside of said casing.

v4. In apparatus of the class described, a

duct, means to supply gas theretoincluding a casing, said casingbeing provided with a port and a disc provided with an orifice in alignment with said port, and means to clean said orifice from the outside of said casing, said means comprising a rod projecting through said orifice and having a portion projecting externally of said casing, said rod being movable about the periphery of said orifice to clean the same.

5. Apparatus of the class described having a plurality of ducts, means to separately supply gas to each of said ducts, said means including a casing having a port, a common supply member for said casings, and a valve for each of said casings movable to and from full open and full closed positions, and means to separately supply air to each of said ducts, each of said casings being provided with interchangeable oriiiced discs to determine the volume of gas delivered to said ducts.

6. Apparatus of the class described, having a duct, a nozzle member communicating therewith, a casing adjacent said nozzle and provided vvith a port communicating therewith, said port being located above the bottom of said casing to forma sump for the collection of deposited material from the gasflovving through said casing, said nozzle having its inner bore increasing in diameter from said casing toward said duct. Y

7. Apparatus for burning raw producer gas, comprising a plurality 'of gas supply pipes and a plurality of air supply pipes, orificed discs associated with said gas and air pipes to determine the flow of gas and air therethrough, a main gas supply means communicating with each of said gas supply pipes, a main air supply means communicating with each of said air supply means, a master shutoff valve for said main gas supply means andv a master shut-ofi' valve for said main air supply means,'each of said gas and air supply pipes being provided With a separate shut-olf valve.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a duet, means to supply gas thereto and means to supply air at the inner periphery of said duct in such WiseV as to envelop said gas.

9. In apparatus of the-class described, a duct, means to supply gas thereto and axially thereof and means to su ply air tangentially um of the inner periphery o lsaid duct to envelop said gas. Y

10. In apparatus of the class described, a duct, means to supply gas thereto, means to supply air tangentially of the inner periphery of said duct around the gas flowing therethrough and at an angle less than 90 to the axis of said duct. Y

Y11. In apparatus of the Class described in Combination, a nozzle, a duet forming a continuation thereof, means to supply gas through said nozzle into said duet axially thereof and means to supply air around the inner periphery of said duct to envelop said gas. Y v v In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY A. DREFFEIN.

Treo 

